Bracket Briefing: How far can the Cinderellas go?

Mar. 22, 2014
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Mercer Bears head coach Bob Hoffman and the Mercer Bears bench reacts in the closing seconds against the Duke Blue Devils in a men's college basketball game during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at PNC Arena. / Rob Kinnan, USA TODAY Sports

These five teams' bracket-shattering wins officially make March turn into Madness. Suddenly and unsurprisingly, they are now more important than a Kentucky team projected to finish 40-0. They're more important than a Wichita State team that actually could go 40-0. They're more important than a Florida team that's on a 27-game winning streak. They're more important than a Kansas team with the top two NBA draft picks (when healthy).

Now, as we move forward into this weekend and the batch of teams gets chopped in half again - to the Sweet 16 - here's a forecast for which teams will continue to wear the glass slipper.

Mercer: The Bears face a Tennessee team that they know well having faced the Volunteers in the NIT last season and if they can beat a No. 3 seed, beating a No. 11 seed is certainly do-able. Then could come a test against Michigan in the Sweet 16. That game might actually be winnable if Mercer can find ways to limit sharpshooter Nik Stauskas. Ceiling: Elite Eight.

Stephen F. Austin: The Lumberjacks are riding a 29-game winning streak but keeping that going could be tough with an underrated UCLA team playing great ball right now. If SFA won that third-round matchup, next would likely be a difficult test against the heavy favorite in Florida. Ceiling: Sweet 16.

North Dakota State:The Bison have a very winnable game against San Diego State in the third round, as the Aztecs proved to be vulnerable in a close overtime win against New Mexico State. Gonzaga could do the Bison a favor by winning knocking off No. 1 seed Arizona because the Wildcats would be a tough matchup for NDSU. Ceiling: Sweet 16.

Harvard: If the Crimson were on another side of the bracket, perhaps a deeper run might be in store, but facing a hot Michigan State team will be a tall task for this veteran-laden group. The Spartans, however, are still ironing things out chemistry-wise after a season marred by injuries. If Harvard can pull off a real upset against MSU, a beatable Virginia team might await. Ceiling: Round of 32.

Dayton: The Flyers face a vulnerable Syracuse team that's certainly beatable. Coach Archie Miller will have to prep his team for the Orange's 2-3 matchup zone and staying in front of Tyler Ennis will be a top priority. If Dayton reaches the Sweet 16, a clash with Kansas would be enticing based on how healthy the Jayhawks are and if Joel Embiid is back. Ceiling: Sweet 16.

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MARCH SADNESS: The flip side of the memorable upsets is the cold agony of defeat.

NUMBER OF THE DAY: 30. That's how many points player of the year front-runner Doug McDermott dropped in Creighton's second-round victory against Louisiana-Lafayette. Expect more 30-point games if teams don't effectively double team this guy. The Bluejays lost in the second round the past two seasons so the victory was a nice accomplishment, although this team seems far from satisfied.

WORDS OF THE DAY: "I'm like, 'I'm just trying to get the game in line, that's a correctable error.' He's like, 'It's too late. You're gone.' " - Nebraska coach Tim Miles on his ejection in the Cornhuskers' second-round loss to Baylor.